Vehicle operated garage door opening means



July 16, 1963 A. w. FAEcHER 3,097,689

VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE DOOR OPENING MEANS Filed April 3, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

July 16, 1963 A. w. FAEcHl-:R 3,097,689

VEHICLE OPERATEE GARAGE DooR OPENING MEANS Filed April 3, 1962. 2Sheets-Sheet 2 .dll e S Z-I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,097,689 VEHICLE OPERATED GARAGE DOOR OPENINGMEANS Arthur W. Faecher, 46 Henry Drive, Glen Cove, N.Y. Filed Apr. 3,1962, Ser. No. 184,800 Claims. (Cl. 160-189) This invention relates togarage door opening means, and more particularly concerns a deviceresponsive to the abutment thereof by a vehicle about to enter a garage`to release the closed door and allow the same to be automaticallylifted to its open position.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved compact deviceattachable to a vertically movable garage door of the -hinged horizontalpanel type with spring means -for raising the same to its open position,for releasing the door from its looked condition in response to pivotedmovement of an abutment member as the same is engaged by a vehicle aboutto enter such garage. i Another object of this invention is to provide adevice of the character described, which comprises a minimum number ofcomponent parts, which parts are readily mounted on standard garage doorconstructions and which will operate smoothly under all conditions ofuse.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described, which has pivoted moving parts on the inner surfaceof the garage door, such parts being compact and lying close to the doorsurface so as not to unduly project therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved garagedoor opening means which includes an abutment member mounted on one ofthe door panels, said abutment member being of a construction to conformto the successive door panels as the same move in a curved path duringthe opening movements of the door and thereby avoid interference withadjacent portions of the frame structure.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the lower portion of a garage doorincluding the opening means embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 a rear elevational view of the lower portion of the garage door.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a garage structureincorporating door opening means embodying the invention. Garage 10comprises a doorway 11 in which a door '.12 is arranged for verticalmovement between closed and open positions. Door 12 is made up ofhorizontal panels 13, 14, 1S etc. hinged together as at 16, in a mannerknown in the art.

Door 12 is provided with means for exerting a lifting force on the sameto raise the Idoor to its open position. To this end, spring means 17 isanchored at one end, as at 18 on a suitable braoket, not shown,extending from a wall portion, not shown of the garage. A cable 19extends from the other end of spring means 17, runs over a pulley 20`mounted on a bracket 21 'fixed to door frame portion `22, the lower endof said cable being secured to a lower portion of the lowermost doorpanel 13 adjacent the end edge thereof. Spring means 17 has a Ibias ofan onder to overcome the lweight of `door l12 so as to exert a positivelifting power, yet allowing the door 1-2 to be pushed down to its closedposition by means of handles 23, 24 on opposite sides of the door.

-Means is provided for releasably holding door 12 in ice its closedposition; and further for effecting the release of the holding means bysuitable action of a vehicle approaching the door 12 to enter thegarage. To this end, keeper means 25 is iixed to the floor F of -garage10, said keeper means comprising a short at bar portion 26 secured tofloor F by bolts 27, and a raised olfset portion 28. Keeper means 25 islocated adjacent the bottom edge 29 of the lowermost door panel 13 andextends parallel thereto.

Latch means 30 is pivotally mounted on the door panel 13 immediatelyabove bottom edge 29 thereof, for releasably engaging keeper means 2S.Latch means 30 is in the form of a lever member having a reverselyhooked portion at one end thereof. Thus, latch means 30 cornprises anelongated arm portion 31, a substantially S- shaped portion 32 extendingfrom one end of arm portion, said S-shaped portion terminating in a hookportion 33.

Latch means 30 is pivotally mounted on a bolt 34 extending through alower edge portion of door panel 13, said bolt 34 carrying spacerwashers 35 and passing through the medial portion 36 of S-shaped portion32. A nut 37 locks bolt 34 in place. A spring 38 is anchored at one endto hook portion 33 at a point adjacent to pivot bolt 34; the other endof said spring 38 being secured to door panel 13 as at 39 which is apoint adjacent bottom edge 29 of said door panel. Thus, spring 38 tendsto turn pivoted latch means 30` in a direction to engage hook portion 33thereof, with keeper portion 28, when the door l12 it in its closedposition. Thus, door 12 is retained in such closed position despite thelifting action of spring means 17.

Means is provided for releasing latch means 30 to allow door 12 toautomatically rise to its open position, merely in response to lforwardmovement of a vehicle, not shown, as the same approaches door 12. T othis end, a bumper member 40 is pivotally mounted on door panel 14 topass the angularly related arm portions disposed arm portion 41 which isheld in spaced relation to the front surfaces of door panels 13, 14 byan angle portion 42 which extends upwardly and inwardly from the upperend of arm portion 41; and a downwardly and outwardly extending armportion 43.

The juncture of angle arm portions 42, `43 is mounted on a shortychannel member 44 which is fixed to the outer surface of door panel 14on a mid portion thereof, for pivoted movement by means of a transversepivot pin 45. The wall of channel member 44 is formed with an opening 46which registers with an opening 47 in door panel 14; said member 40comprising a vertically of member 40 therethrough.

The lower end of arm portion 43 is connected to the outer end of latcharm portion 31 by a cable 48; a screw connection 49 on the latch armportion 3K1 allowing for adjustment of the effective length of cable 48.Cable 48 is guided in a predetermined path by means of eyes 50, 51 fixedto the door panel 1-4. A spring 53 is secured at one end thereof to alower portion of arm portion 43 and is anchored at the other end topanel y14 at a point 54 above opening 47. In lthe event that bumpermember 40 is moved only slightly by the vehicle approaching the same,which movement is sucient to release latch means 30, but leaves arrnportion 41 projecting outwardly of the outer surface of door panels, 13,14; spring 53 is operative to pull arm portion 41 inwardly towards saiddoor panels, thereby facilitating the movement of the door 12 as thesame moves upwardly and then horizontally, in the usual manner.

The juncture of arm portions 41 and 42 is located in relation to theabutting edges of door panels 13, 14 so as to allow said bumper member40 to conform to the angular relation of said door panels 13, 14 as thesame move in a curved path adjacent door frame portion 22, when door 12is raised to its open position by spring means 17. Spring means 17 maybe augmented by supplementary spring means, not shown, to provide thenecessary lifting power in terms of the weight of door 12.

The door 12 may rbe operated manually by handles 23 or 24 to lower thesame against the action of spring means 17 and 'bumper member 40 ispulled outwardly or lever' arm portion 31 is' depressed to allow hookportion 33 to reengage keeper means 2S. The lifting action of springmeans 17 will then keep said hook portion 33 and keeper means Z5 ininterengaged relation, aided by the action of spring 38.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it isunderstood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemedillustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appendedclaims.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I `claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a vertically movable garage door having aplurality of horizontally disposed, hinged panels, spring meansoperatively connected to said door for exerting a lifting force thereon,an opening in one of said door panels and yfulcrum means on said panelat said opening therein, and keeper means on the floor of said garageadjacent the bottom edge of the lowermost door panel, a pair of members,one of said members being pivotally mounted on the inner surface of thelowermost door panel for releasa-bly engaging said keeper means, theother of said members bein-g pivotally mounted on said fulcrum means andcomprising a vertically disposed vehicle abutment portion adjacent theouter surface of said one door panel arranged for movement toward saidone door panel upon contact therewith by a vehicle moving towards saiddoor and an arm portion angularly related to said abutment portion andextending through said door panel opening and in a downward direction,and means connecting said arm portion and said one pivoted member formoving said one pivoted member to release said keeper means in responseto movement of the abutment portion of said other memlber toward saiddoor panel.

2. In the .combination as in claim 1, wherein said one member comprisesa hook shaped end portion Afor engaging said keeper means and a leverarm portion extending from said hook shaped portion, said connectingmeans comprising cable means connecting the outer end of said lever armyportion and the outer end of the angular arm portion of said othermember.

3. In the combination of claim 1, andv further including spring means onsaid door panel and connected to said one pivoted member for urging saidone pivoted member in a direction to engage said keeper means.

4. In combination with a vertically movable garage door having aplurality of horizontally disposed hinged panels, means operativelyconnected to said door for exerting a lifting force thereon, keepermeans on the iloor of the garage, a member pivotally mounted on theinner surface of the lowermost door panel adjacent the bottoni edgethereof and including a hook portion for releasa'- bly engaging saidkeeper means, a vehicle abutment member pivotally mounted on the doorpanel immediately above the lowermost door panel, said abutment membercomprising a vertically disposed first arm portion adjacent the outersurface of said door panels, a second arm portion extending from theupper end of said rst mentioned arm portion and projecting" through anopening in the second mentioned door panel, fulcrum means on said secondmentioned door panel adjacent the opening therein for pivotally mountingsaid second arm portion and a third arm portion extending downwardlyfrom the inner end of said second arm portion and adjacent the innersurface of said second mentioned door panel, and means connecting thefree end of said third arm portion and said first mentioned member forpivoting said first member in a direction to release said keeper meansin response to movement of the vertically disposed arm portion inwardlytoward said door panels.

5. The combination as in claim 4 wherein said rst and second anmportions are angularly related at a point immediately above the hingedjoint between the lowermost door panel and the `door panel immediatelythereabove to allow said abutment member to substantially conform to therelative disposition of the adjacent door panels as they move upwardlyand then in a curved' path.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,074,347 Steiner Mar. 23, 1937 2,621,038 Boyd Dec. 9, 1952 2,629,435Dadswell Feb. 24, 1953

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY MOVABLE GARAGE DOOR HAVING APLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, HINGED PANELS, SPRING MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DOOR FOR EXERTING A LIFTING FORCE THEREON,AN OPENING IN ONE OF SAID DOOR PANELS AND FULCRUM MEANS ON SAID PANEL ATSAID OPENING THEREIN, AND KEEPER MEANS ON THE FLOOR OF SAID GARAGEADJACENT THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE LOWER MOST DOOR PANEL, A PAIR OFMEMBERS, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE INNERSURFACE OF THE LOWERMOST DOOR PANEL FOR RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID KEEPERMEANS, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FULCRUMMEANS AND COMPRISING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED VEHICLE ABUTMENT PORTIONADJACENT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ONE DOOR PANEL ARRANGED FOR MOVE MENTTOWARD SAID ONE DOOR PANEL UPON CONTACT THEREWITH BY A VEHICLE MOVINGTOWARDS SAID DOOR AND AN ARM PORTION ANGULARLY RELATED TO SAID ABUTMENTPORTION AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID DOOR PANEL OPENING AND IN A DOWNWARDDIRECTION, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID ARM PORTION AND SAID ONE PIVOTEDMEMBER FOR MOVING SAID ONE PIVOTED MEMBER TO RELEASE SAID KEEPER MEANSIN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF THE ABUTMENT PORTION OF SAID OTHER MEM S BERTOWARD SAID DOOR PANEL.